Ta' Marija Restaurant - Maltese Speciality Restaurant

info@tamarija.com

Constitution Street, Mosta

Tel: +356 2143 4444

The Mosta Village

The name 'Mosta' or 'Musta' is of ancient origin. Some even claim it links with the legendary Atlantis. A variety of meanings have been appended to it. These include the "mysterious village", the "hidden place" or the more widely accepted "the central place"; Malta is in fact centrally located in the Mediterranean Sea, and consequently the town of Mosta is found in the centre of our island.

Mosta as a village never stood much chance of developing until the late 17th century. The main reason was that it was too accessible to marauding pirates who could easily make their way to Mosta unhindered via the coastal localities of Salina or Bahar ic-Caghaq. Standard precautions in those days, included maintaining strong links and contact with a fortified city in this case Mdina, which is under three miles distance.

As a result, Mosta remained rural and its population static until the late 1790's. After that period and due to the stability of the previous half-century Mosta started to grow physically and economically.

Village life in Mosta, in abiding with tradition always centred around the church and its square. It is interesting to note that since Mosta was so exposed to the wrath of plundering pirates - the town's population used to seek refuge and bar themselves inside the old church, serving the dual purpose of a fort.

In the early 1800s it was decided that Mosta was to have a new church. However, bureaucracy and the outbreak of cholera in the 1830s delayed the project.

The foundation stone to the Mosta Dome was laid in 1833. The construction of the enormous dome was conducted without any form of scaffolding and apart of all the majesty and works of art to be found within, the building itself is a masterpiece. The church whose dome is the third largest in the world was completed in 1860.

The dome has a diameter of 180 feet, and height of 200 feet. It is said that the Dome can easily accommodate 12,000 individuals standing.

In 1942 during the Second World War, a 1000 Kg bomb crashed through the Dome, whilst a congregation of 300 people was present. Miraculously not one person was hurt by the falling masonry or the bomb, which failed to detonate.

The Mosta Dome was, and still is today the hub of all activity in this traditional town - which has grown through the years, yet kept its heritage and culture.

Mosta's village feast is on the 15th of August. This is the traditional celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin into Heaven. The entire village starts preparing from weeks beforehand with the decoration of house facades, fairy lights and banners. Petards and fireworks colour the warm evening sky, and band marches make their way through the brilliantly lit streets. The evening of the festa is marked by the religious procession with the statue of the Blessed Virgin through the streets. A fireworks grand finale summons the end of the festa. The day after the festa is by common consent a local 'holiday' when youths go on a 'xalata' or round the island tour indulging in merrymaking.

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